Eating a balanced diet
Diet is the variety of foods that are eaten over a period of time. As no single food provides all of the body's required nutrients, an individual's diet should be balanced across a variety of foods. Individual foods are not necessarily healthy or unhealthy. Healthy eating requires a balanced diet.
Eatwell plate
A balanced diet includes different foods from each of the five main food groups. The NHS eatwell plate shows these food groups and the proportions in which they should be eaten. The foods in the smallest group – high in fat and/or sugar – are not required as part of a healthy diet.
People should eat a balanced diet every day. Each meal does not necessarily have to be balanced.
Additional advice
As well as being balanced, a healthy diet includes:
- low-salt or salt-free options
- five fruit or veg a day, including whole fruits and vegetables, not just juices and smoothies
- wholegrain varieties of starchy foods
- lower-fat dairy products
Even if their diet is balanced, people still need to consider the energy balance equation.